Teacher

Name: Lyndsey Strange

Date and Time Lesson will be Taught: TBA

Lesson Title: Helpful Hydraulics

Name of Secondary CTE Course: Engineering and Technology Education I

Curriculum Framework Unit:


6.0 Energy, Power, and Transportation Technologies


6.1 Define energy and power.


Objectives: The learner will be able to
1. Define Pascals Law.
2. Demonstrate how Pascals Law can be used to multiply force using the equation, !"#$% =
!"#$$%"# !"#$.
3. Give examples of how Pascals Law relates to the learners day-to-day life.
4. Construct a basic hydraulic system using syringes.

Content to be Presented in Lesson:
Fluid Power- the use of fluids under pressure to generate, control and transmit power.
Pascals Law:
o A pressure applied to a fluid in a closed container is transmitted equally to every point of
the fluid and the walls of the container.
o Discovered by Blaise Pascal in the 1600s.
o Allegedly he performed an experiment in which he inserted a 10 m long pole into a barrel
filled with water and as water was poured into the tube it caused the barrel to burst.
Mechanical Advantage:
o The ratio of the output force to the input force applied to a mechanism.
!"#$%
o !"#$$%"# =

!"#$
o !"#$% = !"#$$%"# !"#$
Examples of Pascals Law in Action
o Hydraulic Breaks
o Hydraulic Elevator
o Syringe Hydraulics

Introduction to the Lesson/Hook:





Allotted Time: 5 minutes
I will demonstrate squeezing toothpaste from a tube by squeezing it from the bottom. Does anyone
know why the toothpaste comes out of the tube when I squeeze it? Does it matter where on the tube I
squeeze? Will it still come out if I squeeze it from the top or the middle? I have also brought a raw egg
with me today. If I squeeze the egg in the center of my palm using all my fingers but not my thumb, do
you think the egg will break? Does anyone think they can squeeze it like that and break it? Why didnt it
break? Today we are going to learn about the principle behind these actions.

Learning Activities/Procedures:





Allotted Time: 30 minutes
Class Discussion/Lecture:





Allotted Time: 15 minutes
o (Pull up slide one) Pascals Law, also known as Pascals Principle was discovered by Blaise
Pascal.
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o (Pull up slide two) Pascal allegedly discovered Pascals Law in the 1600s when he
performed an experiment in which he inserted a tube into a barrel and poured water down
the tube causing the barrel to burst. The barrel experiment is associated with Pascal,
however, it was never mentioned in his personal works so it may not be true.
o (Pull up slide three) Pascals Law states that pressure applied to a fluid in a closed
container is transmitted to every part of that fluid and the walls of the container. The
Diagram is showing how force is used to apply pressure at the top of the container and the
pressure is distributed equally though the fluid and to the walls of the container. This is
why the toothpaste will come out of the top of the tube no matter where you squeeze it. It
also explains why the egg will not crack. The fluid the force I am applying with my hand is
transmitted equally throughout the fluid in the egg and the eggshell. Since there is no
opening where the fluid can escape the eggshell is pushing back on my had with a force
equal to the one my hand is applying to the eggshell.
o (Pull up slide four) Pascals law allows us to harness fluid power, which is the use of fluids
under pressure to generate, control and transmit power.
o (Pull up slide five) We can use fluid power to give us mechanical advantage. Mechanical
advantage is the ratio of input force to output force. When something gives us a mechanical
advantage it amplifies force so that the output force is greater than the input force. These
equations help explain how Pascals Law is used in hydraulics to give us mechanical
advantage. In the diagram the small piston has an area of 1 in2. The large piston has an area
that is 100 times larger than the small piston at 100 in2. If we look at the second equation
we can deduce that whatever force is applied to the small piston will be amplified times
100 on the large piston. If we apply 1 unit of force on the 1 in2 piston, that 1 unit of force is
applied to every square inch of area that contains the fluid and the fluid itself. Because the
large piston is 100 square inches, 100 units of force are applied to that piston. If we were to
change the area of the small piston to 2 in2, the area of the large piston would be 50 times
as large as the small piston and therefore if we applied 1 unit of force to the small piston,
50 units of force would act on the large piston.
o (Pull up slide six) Here are a couple of real world examples of hydraulic systems.
Hydraulic breaks amplify the force exerted by a persons foot to stop the wheels of a vehicle
from rotating. Do you think you could stop the wheels of a vehicle from rotating without
the mechanical advantage that hydraulic breaks give you? This hydraulic elevator is using a
rotary pump to apply force and that force is amplified to lift an elevator full of people. The
rotary pump alone would not be capable of this amount of force.
o (Pull up slide seven) In this animation, two syringes have been connected with tubing and
filled with water. They now form a hydraulic system. Because the syringes are the same
size, as one syringe is pressed down the other syringe will move the same distance up and
the force with which you push down on one plunger is going to be the same as the force
that the other plunger will push up. If one of the syringes were smaller than the other you
would see a difference in the distances and forces. The smaller piston would move a greater
distance but the larger piston would have an amplified force.
Class Activity:







Allotted Time: 15 minutes
o You will each be making a hydraulic system using two syringes and some aquarium
tubing. (I will demonstrate the best method of assembling the hydraulics for the students
then assist as they each make one. There will be several different sizes of syringes so there
will be a variety of hydraulic systems.)
o Now that you have assembled your hydraulics, I want you to play with them and get a feel
for how they work. Now trade with someone who has a different system from the one you
assembled and work with that one for a few moments. What do you notice about the
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different systems? What did you all notice about the hydraulics that had the same size
syringes compared to those that had syringes of different sizes?

Conclusion:








Allotted Time: 15 minutes
I have a short Comprehension Check for you all to complete so that we can assess your
understanding of the concepts that we discussed today. Please try to complete this to the best of your
ability and if you need help or have a question raise your hand. Now to close the lesson, here is a very
short video of a student made machine using syringe hydraulics. Tomorrow we will begin making our
own machine using a hydraulic system as we solve a design challenge. (I wouldnt pass out the design
challenge until the next class day but I have included a copy at the end of this lesson.)

Evaluation:
I will informally formatively evaluate during the class discussion and as I help them put together
their hydraulic systems. I will use the comprehension check as a summative evaluation of the students
understanding of the concepts and learning objectives.

Modifications:
Students could work in pairs to assemble the hydraulic systems and the groups could be arranged so
that students with special needs or English language difficulties were working with peers who could
assist them in completing the task. Higher-level students that finish the activity and/or comprehension
check more quickly could be given a design challenge having to do with hydraulics or they could do some
more research to find some other real world examples hydraulic systems besides those that were
discussed in class.

References:
Mechanical Advantage. (n.d.) In Dictionary.com. Retrieved from

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mechanical-advantage
Pascals Barrel. (n.d.) Retrieved October 10, 2015 from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_barrel
All images and equations were retrieved from Google images.

Materials:
PowerPoint presentation, computer, and screen for display
Comprehension Check worksheet (1 per student)
Syringes of various sizes (2 per student)
10-12in length of aquarium tubing (1 per student)

Pascals Law

The Discovery
Pascal's law was first
discovered by Blaise
Pascal. Allegedly, he
performed an experiment in
the 1600s. A 10 m long
pole was vertically inserted
into a barrel that was filled
with water. As the water
was poured into the vertical
tube, Pascal discovered that
the pressure from the water
caused the barrel to burst.

Pascals Law
states that:
A pressure applied to a
fluid in a closed container
is transmitted equally to
every point of the fluid and
the walls of the container.

Fluid Powerthe use of fluids under pressure to generate, control

and transmit power.

Mechanical
Advantage

Force = Pressure Area

Pascals Law in Action

Hydraulic Breaks

Hydraulic Elevator

Syringe Hydraulics

Syringe Hydraulic Excavator

Comprehension+Check+ +
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Helpful Hydraulics
An Investigation Into Pascals Law

The Problem:
Jim Slim needs our help. He is moving across town with his dog, Slim
Jim. Jims dog Slim isnt living up to the family name and the vet has
declared that Jim needs to help Slim get trim. So, Jim and Slim are
moving to a neighborhood with a doggy gym. Jim has packed up his
apartment and is ready to go, but he cant lift Slim into the truck.
Slim is just too heavy.
The Challenge:
We need to help give Jim some mechanical advantage. We are going
to design a machine to lift Slim into the car.
The Criteria:
! The machine must contain at least one moving part that is
actuated by hydraulics.
! The machine must be made using only the given materials.
! The machine must lift Slim at least 2 inches from the ground.
The Materials:
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Cardboard
Brads
Masking tape
2 syringes
length of clear plastic tubing, 10-12in long
Water
Scissors